Multiplicity of ‘Catholic’ voices at the Democratic National Convention highlights and exploits confusion among the faithful about who defines Church teaching.

WASHINGTON — The 2012 Democratic National Convention featured a slew of self-identified “Catholic” voices — from the vice president of the United States to the daughter of a slain U.S. president, from a “nun on the bus” to Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, who delivered the final blessing at the three-day event.

A half century ago, the lineup of Catholics would have been a source of pride for an immigrant Church. But this year in Charlotte, the diverse, even contradictory positions of these co-religionists seemed designed to sow confusion, leaving the audience to ask: Who speaks for the Church, and does the Church still hold to non-negotiable truths on issues like abortion and marriage?

While Caroline Kennedy told convention delegates that her Catholic faith bolstered her defense of “reproductive rights,” Cardinal Dolan’s benediction beseeched the Almighty to defend unborn life.

Sister Simone Campbell, the executive director of Network, the social-justice lobby, also stepped to the podium, leveraging the moral authority of her Church to condemn the budget proposal of a fellow Catholic, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the GOP vice-presidential candidate.

Sister Simone elicited wild applause when she reminded the delegates that Ryan’s proposed cuts of social programs had been strongly criticized by the U.S. bishops, and she was cheered when asserting that “pro-life” values explained her own bus tour that targeted Ryan’s fiscal priorities.

Yet this same audience also applauded top abortion-rights activists who warned them that GOP efforts to bar federal funding of Planned Parenthood and protect conscience rights would turn back the clock on women’s rights.

Thus the convention proceedings left the impression of a moral equivalence between defending the unborn child’s inalienable right to life and partisan decisions to block cuts in social spending. In a similar vein, speakers seemed to suggest that a genuine Christian concern for women could be fully realized through abortion-rights advocacy.

No surprise that Cardinal Dolan, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, used his benediction to address the selective approach to issues of justice.

“Grant us the courage to defend it — life, without which no other rights are secure. We ask your benediction on those waiting to be born, that they may be welcomed and protected,” the cardinal prayed, in his distillation of Catholic teaching on the inalienable dignity of all human life, along with passages addressing traditional marriage and religious freedom.

Did the television audience pay special attention to the cardinal’s pointed remarks? Hard to tell, when even Church leaders must fight for airtime to articulate definitive Catholic teaching.

So, who speaks for the Catholic Church in the public square?

Ed Peters, a prominent canon lawyer, stresses the authoritative role of bishops as teachers of faith and morals, but he also notes the limits of that authority in matters of prudential judgment on which people of good will can disagree.

“One should always keep in mind the distinction between ‘Church teaching’ and ‘Church teachers,’” Peters told the Register.

“Many people can, and indeed should, promote ‘Church teaching,’ but engaging in that activity — even over a long time or in a highly public manner — does not make one a ‘Church teacher.’

“Only bishops have the charism to act as ‘Church teachers.’ See Canon 756. The rest of us, particularly laypersons, promote Church teaching only according to our gifts and situations in life — Canon 759.”

As for the U.S. bishops, who release statements on a variety of moral and social issues, Peters noted that “the degree to which they exercise their magisterium is to be assessed from many factors such as, say, the deliberation with which they address various topics, the consistency of their remarks with Scripture and Tradition, and the degree of connection between the subject matter before them and the doctrines of the Church.”

Canon law “expressly cautions against putting forth one’s personal opinion as if it were Church doctrine — Canon 227,” he stated.

Asked to comment on the spectacle of Catholic speakers at the convention explicitly citing their faith to justify a slew of policies, John Haas, an influential moral theologian at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, briefly outlined the Church’s caveats about this kind of speech.

“The last two Pontiffs have made it very clear that ‘public Catholics,’ such as clerics and consecrated religious, ought not to become involved in partisan politics,” he said.

Noting Sister Simone Campbell’s appearance at the convention and her statements regarding Congressman Ryan, Haas said, “It was most inappropriate for Sister Simone to have claimed that the Romney/Ryan proposals did not conform to Catholic Church teaching.”

“That is not her place. What would the reaction have been if a Sister for Life in full habit had denounced the DNC positions [at the GOP convention] on the killing of unborn children and the legal sanctioning of sodomy?” Haas asked.

“The bishops are the only ones who speak authoritatively on doctrinal and moral matters. Faithful Catholics, from laity to theologians, speak authoritatively, derivatively, by faithfully and correctly applying Church teaching to concrete situations. But they ought not to do it in a highly charged partisan environment such as a political convention.”

Earlier this month, Cardinal Dolan’s decision to attend the Democratic National Convention, after already agreeing to attend the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., fueled a robust debate among Catholics who support Church teaching on life issues, marriage and religious freedom.

Some feared that the cardinal’s appearance amid the lineup of pro-choice Catholic politicians would confer a degree of respectability on social policies antithetical to Church teaching. This concern reflected an awareness that, in the public mind, the cardinal did indeed represent the Church and its teaching: His presence would carry special weight.

However, Robert George, a professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University and a prominent Catholic public intellectual, defended the cardinal’s decision as an effective counterpoint to partisan rhetoric that has characterized Catholic opposition to abortion as an attack on women’s rights and Catholic support for traditional marriage as evidence of bigotry.

“If, as the Obama-Biden campaign alleges, there is a ‘war on women,’ Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, is its field marshal. If opposition to same-sex marriage is ‘bigotry,’ as many on the left insist, then Cardinal Dolan — as the most prominent defender of marriage as the union of husband and wife — is the country’s leading bigot,” wrote George in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

“The cardinal’s presence confounds efforts by the abortion-rights and gay-marriage movements to stigmatize and marginalize those who refuse to fall into line.”

After the cardinal delivered his benediction, George Weigel, the papal biographer, commended him for making the trip to Charlotte and speaking before possibly hostile convention delegates, many of whom strongly oppose the Church’s teachings on life and marriage.

“I doubt that any American bishop in history has delivered a more courageous benediction at a public event, under more difficult circumstances, than Cardinal Timothy Dolan did in Charlotte last night — a prayer made all the more important by the tone and message of the Democratic convention on life issues, religious freedom, marriage and the teaching of the Catholic Church,” wrote Weigel in a widely circulated email that was picked up by on the Archdiocese of New York’s blog.

The Catechism of the Church defends the right of the Church, under the authority of the Roman Pontiff and in communion with the bishops, to uphold the continuity of Catholic moral teaching in season and out.

“To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles, including those pertaining to the social order, and to make judgments on any human affairs to the extent that they are required by the fundamental rights of the human person or the salvation of souls,” states the Catechism (2032).

“The ‘Roman Pontiff and the bishops are’ authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people entrusted to them, the faith to be believed and put into practice” (2034).

In the wake of the Second Vatican Council, however, several generations of Catholics have come of age during an era shaped by theological dissent and weak catechesis.

Initially, Catholic moral theologians like Father Charles Curran challenged the authority of the Pope and the bishops to speak authoritatively on contraception use. Dissenting theologians subsequently questioned the validity of Catholic teaching on abortion, divorce, premarital sex and homosexual unions.

In a 1987 article in Christian Century, “Roman Catholic Sexual Ethics: A Dissenting View,” Father Curran repeated the now familiar argument.

The “great discrepancy between Catholic teaching and Catholic practice has called into question the credibility of the hierarchical teaching office. Because of the Church’s sexual teachings, a good number of Roman Catholics have become disillusioned and have left the Church,” he asserted.

This month, the statements of some Catholic speakers at the Charlotte convention seemed to echo the insights of Father Curran and other dissenting theologians. Yet, rather than leave the Church as Father Curran predicted, some of these Catholics have chosen to identify themselves as Catholic while publicly dissenting on issues like contraception and same-sex marriage.

Vice President Joe Biden, a self-identified practicing Catholic, pledged to secure “a future where women control their own choices, health and destiny.”

And if Biden offered a veiled promise to protect abortion rights and a federal mandate that threatened the free exercise of church-affiliated social agencies, hospitals and universities, Caroline Kennedy was more explicit, underscoring the even more limited impact of Catholic moral teaching on younger baby boomers.

“As a Catholic woman, I take reproductive health seriously, and, today, it is under attack. This year alone, more than a dozen states have passed more than 40 restrictions on women’s access to reproductive health care,” said Kennedy.

Once upon a time, women religious like Network’s Sister Simone might have admonished Kennedy for failing to study the teaching of her faith with sufficient diligence. But as a political lobbyist, Sister Simone has a different mission and focus.

Asserted Sister Simone: “Paul Ryan claims his budget reflects the principles of our shared Catholic faith. But the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that the Ryan budget failed a basic moral test because it would harm families living in poverty.”

Still, while there is no way to measure which Catholic speaker at the convention carried the most weight with the television audience, it's clear that the cardinal had an impact.

In a Sept. 7 Los Angeles Times post, commentator Mitchell Landsberg registered a "clear impression that the cardinal ... seemed to be chiding the Democrats over their support of same-sex marriage when he prayed: 'Show us anew that happiness is found only in respecting the laws of nature and of nature’s God. Empower us with your grace so that we might resist the temptation to replace the moral law with idols of our own making or to remake those institutions you have given us for the nurturing of life and community.'"

Comments

Good question Mark. I don’t know who her Diocesan Bishop is, and it is his responsibilty (job).
She is a heretic and schismatic per the definitions in the CCC.

For those who may not own a CCC, search on internet ” What Catholics REALLY Believe Source “.
Using the CCC they answer the following questions which would apply to her:
” 2. What is the difference between a Catholic Heretic, a Catholic Schismatic, and sinful Ignorance? “

” 4. What does the Church consider “Scandal” and is it a mortal sin? “

” 5. Can we be responsible for the sins of others, and does this require going to Confession with a firm purpose of amendment not to commit the sin again? “

Posted by Mark on Monday, Oct 1, 2012 9:55 PM (EST):

Why hasn’t Sister Simone been booted ? She doesn’t represent any Catholic and should go find a liberal church

Posted by JohnP on Saturday, Sep 29, 2012 11:26 AM (EST):

The secondary headline uses the word “exploits”. The ‘voices’ at the DNC exploit the confusion among practicing Catholics as to the soundness of Catholic doctrine? The attitude behind that choice of words troubles me deeply.

Posted by Nancy D. on Monday, Sep 24, 2012 9:23 AM (EST):

No doubt, we are living in the Time of The Great Apostasy that has fooled much of the elect as those who have left His Church spiritually, have remained within His Church physically, causing chaos and confusion, while leading many astray. The Charitable Anathema exists for the sake of Christ, His Church, and all who will come to believe in The Word of God , including those prodigal sons and daughters.

Posted by Mary on Saturday, Sep 15, 2012 1:30 PM (EST):

Wow!!! I have been reading the posts of I believe “Catholics” and it is very sad that there are many that can not distinguish intrinsically evil acts, it looks like anything goes, one day they will undertand what intrinsically evil act is, hopefully will not be too late to repent. Democratic convention were full of this “Catholics”

Posted by cthlc12345 on Friday, Sep 14, 2012 5:09 PM (EST):

Let’s also keep in mind that President Obama and the other Democrats had 2 years to do almost anything they wanted when they had the majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In addition, the Democrats had a filibuster-proof supermajority for 6 months, when Obama could do WHATEVER HE WANTED. So, blaming Republicans for the poor economy sounds kind of silly.

Posted by cthlc12345 on Friday, Sep 14, 2012 4:44 PM (EST):

I think it’s the responsibilty of supposedly objective reporters to challenge self-proclaimed “Catholic” politicians who vocally disagree with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Posted by ANNE on Friday, Sep 14, 2012 2:18 PM (EST):

” The Compendium is not a work that stands alone, nor is it intended in any way to replace the Catechism of the Catholic Church: instead it refers constantly to the Catechism by means of reference numbers printed in the margins, as well as by consistent reliance on its structure, development and contents. In fact, the Compendium is meant ot reawaken interest in and enthusiasm for the Catechism, which, in the wisdom of its presentation and the depth of its spirituality always remains the basic text for catechesis in the Church today.”
-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict), March 2005. - Compendium Introduction bottom of page.

This site includes statements about the CCC by our Popes, and links to Church sites and documents that will help us.

Pass it on to every Catholic you know.

Posted by Shelly on Friday, Sep 14, 2012 1:16 PM (EST):

Anyone who would consider voting for the current President needs to do some homework. The first act Obama did was send money to Mexico for his type of healthcare which means abortions. Anyone that thinks Obama is going to provide acceptable healthcare is a fool. What government agency is run efficiently?
All decisions will be based on cost first then they will decide if you are worth saving. Why put money into something that will not be around that long?
Which politician do you want to make the decision if you worth spending money on? This is how governments work.

Posted by Christopher Lake on Friday, Sep 14, 2012 12:55 PM (EST):

Marie Therese Kane, you describe yourself as a “pro-life, female, Catholic Democrat.” I hope you are aware that a woman’s supposed “right to abortion” is an official plank in the Democratic Party platform. At this year’s DNC convention, pro-life Democratic voices were completely shut out by *by their own Party*. The Democratic Party has made it clear that the Party will *not* defend* the unborn. The Party is officially committed to not defending the most voiceless among us. To vote for a militantly pro-choice politician, such as Barack Obama, is grave sin, particularly when the man who is running against him has pledged to defend the unborn. Yes, I wish that Mitt Romney were a better candidate in many ways. However, he is not an implacable foe of the Church, as Obama has shown himself to be, with his stand on abortion, and on the HHS mandate, which would force Catholic Church agencies to cover contraception in their insurance for their employees. There is also the fact that the Democratic Party just approved a new plank in its platform vowing to defend homosexual marriage—which is *another* grave insult to God that the Party is now *officially committed to*, along with abortion. Simply put, what will it take, before you are no longer ashamed to vote, and identify yourself, as a “Catholic Democrat”? I struggle with many aspects of the Republican Party too, but the present-day Democratic Party is proving itself, more and more, to be actively hostile to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Posted by Linda Nelson on Friday, Sep 14, 2012 10:23 AM (EST):

It makes me very sad to see Catholics asking for our Bishops to do something - to speak out - against the outrageous destruction of faith in their dioceses. I cannot imagine the dreadful angst the Bishops must feel while being over people who no longer wish to participate in the Holy Mass, and who - without a tinge of conscience - profess pure venom from the depths of their souls. We have been made to think our Bishops do not feel, do not care, and will not act. And, let us say, who has been our teacher in these decisions? And who has directed us to lose our confidence, our trust, and turn our face away from God? When you are down, and feel you have failed, how can things be turned around? After we dump our memory of all that is evil, we realize it is really the present and all is possible. If we or the parish do not have the time, the skills, the money to bring us what we need, let us seek to teach ourselves the best way we can. Look at one superb Vatican document - a short Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2005)(which has Pope Benedict XVI’s MOTU PROPRIO). This is actually very good leisure reading: http://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html I discovered that document by a link on http://www.youtube.com/user/mscatholic88/videos?view=0 which has 60 beautiful commentaries on Catechism topics. Take a look at one of the videos about the “Our Father” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WAp36b3K-8 You can find other topics to study Catholicism, listen to old latin favorites (Panis Angelicus by Mirusia Louwerse André Rieu, etc.) all over the internet, but watch out your links are truly Catholic! We can help ourselves and the Church by gaining wisdom - and hope to encourage our Bishops along the way. We can show them our love of our faith, and that we care for them.

Posted by juli on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 11:24 PM (EST):

thank you for your article. I am so dumbfounded by public figure catholics (democrat, republican, etc) defining catholicism in their own words and publicly supporting non-catholic beliefs without the respect to the true catholic teaching of our church. I think this does an injustice to the catholic church for everyone.

Posted by Andrew on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 10:14 PM (EST):

As an Australian, reading this editorial, I would say the Democratic Party is in disarray. As Christ said “A house divided cannot stand”.

Posted by Carlo on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 8:24 PM (EST):

Card Dolan had to straighten out his “benediction” between the two conventions :
To the Republicans he rolled together “Almighty God, father of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus, we beg… etc.” —- quite politically correct and satisfactory to Muslims and Jews (four prophets?).
After someone presumably had the courage to speak up, he improved the text for the Democratic convention to: “Almighty God, father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, revealed to us so powerfully in your Son, Jesus Christ, we thank ... etc.”
Most of the audience was departing. He shouldn’t have been there at all.

Posted by Charles P. on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 8:13 PM (EST):

It is impossible to be a Catholic and be for abortion. If that is your views you need to find yourself a new faith IMMEDIATELY. Abortion is murder. No getting around it. You also cant vote for a man that is the most radical pro-abortion president in American history. This monster believes it’s fine to go ahead and murder a child who survives an abortion. Stick a knife in their head and be done with it. So like I said anyone that calls themselves a Catholic and agrees with murdering the unborn or votes for a politician who believes in the same thing, well…is not a Catholic and one day when you meet your maker you’ll have some explaining to do. Caroline Kennedy makes me want to puke. She should be excommunicated from the Catholic Church for causing great scandal upon the Church. AMEN.

Posted by ANNE on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 7:07 PM (EST):

Cardinal Raymond L. Burke can answer your questions better than most of us. Cardinal Burke is a Canon Lawyer. (Canonist Ed Peters is in full agreement with Cardinal Burke which can also be found on the internet.)
This is the best explanation that I have ever read.

I am sorry to say that you are probably correct that many US Bishops don’t address the mortal Sin of Scandal from those who reside within their own Diocese.
This exacerbates not only the mortal sin of Scandal which causes the loss of Souls, but also relativism and secularism within our Society.
By doing nothing, the lack of action denies the - “the holiness of the Sacrament, to safeguard the salvation of the soul of the party presenting himself to receive Holy Communion, and to avoid scandal”. - quote from Cardinal Burke - see link in this post.

Posted by Mary Blair on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 6:29 PM (EST):

We live in a democracy, not a theocracy. Every citizen has the right to vote for the candidate of their choice, and this right is recognized by the hierarchy & the USCCB. Read the USCCB document on formation of conscience and
cast your vote based on your informed conscience. Making moral judgments about other Catholics based on whom they vote for goes aganst God’s command to all of us: “Love one another, as I have loved you”. Leave the moral judgment to God.

Posted by Joe on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 5:41 PM (EST):

EXCOMMUNICATE ALREADY!

Posted by Marie Therese Kane on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 5:33 PM (EST):

I find this article highly offensive. I am a pro-life,female, Catholic Democrat, and I watched both the DNC and the RNC. The quote “A slew of ‘self identified’ Catholic voices” is the most hurtful. Who are we to say who is “Catholic” and who is not? Isn’t “self-identified Catholic” a redundant statement, as one of the primary parts of being a Catholic is being able to identify yourself as a member of the Body of Christ, and use that gift to help others? I watched the “nun on a bus,” and found her to be a wonderful example of a confident religious woman changing the world, rather than someone clinging onto beliefs that they do not understand or care about, like many “Catholics” I know. I wish that you would please stop guilting Catholics into believing that they have to be Republican. What makes you esteem Paul Ryan more than Joe Biden? I go to church with Vice President Biden at Holy Trinity and he is there very Sunday, praying quietly. This is what it means to be Catholic. We must remember that we are not a political organization, we are a church. One church. And the people who were criticized above are part of that church, and no one has the right to tell them that they are not, no matter what political party or personal beliefs they may have.

Posted by ron a. on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 5:31 PM (EST):

Caroline sounds like her father’s daughter—-and just as Catholic!

Posted by Michael F. on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 5:20 PM (EST):

Sister Campbell stated at the convention, “the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that the Ryan budget failed a basic moral test because it would harm families living in poverty…We agree with our bishops.”

What she stated was false and misleading. “Our bishops” did not promulgate the document to which she referred. She made it sound as if this document had the full weight of the U.S. Bishops behind it and therefore it would have some kind of binding weight on a Catholic conscience. In fact, it was produced and signed by **one bishop** - Bishop Blaire. You can verify that for yourself, here:

“In order that the doctrinal declarations of the Conference of Bishops referred to in No. 22 of the present Letter may constitute authentic magisterium and be published in the name of the Conference itself, they must be unanimously approved by the Bishops who are members, or receive the recognitio of the Apostolic See if approved in plenary assembly by at least two thirds of the Bishops belonging to the Conference and having a deliberative vote.”

AND

“No body of the Episcopal Conference, outside of the plenary assembly, has the power to carry out acts of authentic magisterium. The Episcopal Conference cannot grant such power to its Commissions or other bodies set up by it.”

As such, Sister Cambell misled (I’m sure unintentionally) all those who were listening to her. The document she cited was not written and promulgated by “our bishops” and it has no magisterial weight.

In fact, Bishop Blaire’s letter was criticized by several bishops. You can read about it here:

Catholics are free to disagree over whether the Ryan budget is good, bad or indifferent. It is a prudential judgment (although I would argue that politically liberal Catholics tend to completely ignore the Church’s doctrinal teaching on subsidiarity – see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity_(Catholicism) ). But such is not the case with issues like abortion, euthanasia and gay marriage. These are black and white moral issues about which Catholics are not free to disagree - at least if they intend to remain faithful Catholics. And yet, President Obama and the Democrat party officially and publicly support the right to kill unborn children at any stage of pregnancy and for any reason. They couldn’t even bring themselves to oppose gender-based abortions (aborting a baby because you want a boy and not a girl). You can read about it here:

Pope Benedict, the successor to Peter, our first Pope, is the ONLY HUMAN BEING that speaks for God’s Catholic Church which His Son Jesus Christ founded personnally. Not ANY PERVERT Democrat, and not any grotesque so-called “nun” on the bus! I have come to realize that every person MUST have a CONVERSION by the Holy Spirit if they are to truly become a Catholic; this is true even if you were Catholic before birth (maybe even especially true). I myself, have been Catholic since before conception, my geniology traces back to Rome first century. But I truly became Catholic in the beginning months of 2011 when the Holy Spirit descended upon and into me, and transformed my heart, mind, and soul.

Posted by Terah James on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 5:09 PM (EST):

Wow, ANNE - I thought your first comment was terrific and helpful:
“Posted by ANNE on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 12:47 PM (EST): There are 5 NON-NEGOTIABLES that must always be strictly observed - - - -” but your last comment above is also EXCELLENT. You make great points. Thank you!

I can only add the way it is right now, fellow Catholics have no right to throw stones at “our separated brethern”, non-Catholic Christians, saying they have 20,000-60,000 different denominations, because with what we Catholics believe, being all over the place, we’re not far off.

It’s time for our leaders to be MEN, standing together to LEAD. Get back to BASICS. The Five Non-Negotiables is an ideal start.

This is an important time in the survival of the Church. I cannot understand why the Church does not speak out against these so called catholics. It is a disgrace to call them catholics. We wonder why there is confusion , by letting these politicians and prominent speakers we are confusing our young people. I think we have the right to speak out, condeming the people who support abortion, contraception and embyronic stem cell research. Our religious freedom is at stake.
The first thing I check before I vote for anyone is their stand on abortion. We didn’t speak out the last election and look at the mess we are in.
It’s time for the Church to take a strong stand against these so-called Catholics, who think they are greater then God.

God bless America,
Charlotte L. McManus

Posted by Steve on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 4:51 PM (EST):

Having been a MA resident during the Romney term I can tell you this year’s presidential election is as close to a toss-up as there can be for Catholics. Obama is for gay marriage, Romney put it into practice in MA. Obama took away conscience protections, Romney did nothing to fight for them here. Obama has free contraception, Romney had a $50 co-pay for abortions. Obama ran against war and bombs more countries than Bush did. Romney will support a robust defense industry and the waste and corruption that goes with it. Remember, the Obama Secretary of Defense was a Republican appointee. I don’t think Bush or Obama had any say in it to be honest. As a conservative Catholic, I want so badly to have a candidate to support who will turn back the tide of progressive liberal evil and the war against the family. Trouble is, we didn’t nominate one this time.

Posted by R.C. on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 4:40 PM (EST):

All very well.

But one concern does continue: Those who are in a state of mortal sin—and knowingly bringing scandal on the faithful is a moral sin—are not to partake of the Eucharist, and their clergy are to strongly recommend that they do not come forward to receive: They risk drinking condemnation on themselves, as St. Paul expresses in writing to the Corinthians, and chastisement from God in the form of illness or death is not unheard of.

A kindly and pastoral priest is supposed to keep even the wayward members of his flock away from such dangers, and if he can’t steer a politician, a brother priest, or a consecrated religious sister away from the public dissent, then his only alternative, steering them away from the Eucharist, is obligatory.

With respect to speaking at the convention, I would think that the “devout” Catholicity of all these pro-choice Catholics would be shown to be a sham were it known that, whatever the individuals themselves may claim, every last one of them had been urged by their bishops not to portray their views as authentically Catholic, nor to approach to receive the Eucharist until they stopped doing so. That would go a long way towards preventing scandal to the faithful, might turn aside some wayward souls from the brink of damnation, and would certainly put the lie to all this false advertising and muddying of the waters.

But I get the impression that in most cases this step has not been taken. Let me be clear: I am not talking about excommunication, which is a separate thing, and I suspect would require a series of formal procedures: The Canon Law version of Due Process. A canonist like Ed Peters would know.

But under Canon 915 (which states that “those who persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion”) a bishop would be exercising his proper stewardship—both in the administration of the sacrament and the care of souls—by insisting that these pro-choice Catholics not receive. This is not a matter of penal legislation; it is a matter of a good bishop preventing scandal to the faithful and an unrepentant soul drinking condemnation into themselves.

So: Is that in fact the case? Has that in fact been done with respect to all these scandal-creating Catholics at the DNC? Are their shepherds actively steering the sheep away from the cliff or not?

If they are, then no more is required than a public, pointed observation that Catholics X, Y, and Z are forbidden communion by their bishop for publicly championing anti-Catholic views. If it became clear that the only “Catholic in good standing” at the whole DNC was the one the Democrats booed for praying the closing Benediction, there’d be less confusion among the faithful.

Posted by ANNE on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 4:00 PM (EST):

The USCCB’s Faithful Citizenship is 40+ pages of compromise amongst the Bishops. It does nothing but cause serious confusion such as equating abortion (murder) to homelessness. This appears to be so that some folks can vote Democratic - for a President that promotes abortion, gay-marriage, contraception and wants to deny our religious freedom while using our tax dollars for his social engineering.

Our own “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” from the Magisterium is very clear regarding abortion, euthanasia, homo-sexual marriage, contraception, freedom of religion, etc. NO NEGIOTIATIONS. No hodge podge. No confusion.

Regarding the USCCB and State Conferences of Bishops - In the “RATZINGER REPORT” (now Pope Benedict) he clearly stated the following: ” We must not forget the episcopal conferences have no theological basis, they do not belong to the structure of the Church, as willed by Christ, that cannot be eliminated; they have only a practical concrete function”. (page 59)

In the same book, he stated: ” No episcopal conference, as such, has a teaching mission; its documents have no weight of their own save that of the consent given to them by the individual bishops “. (page 60)

http://whatcatholicsreallybelieve.com # 13, has appropriate links to comparison charts of the differences between the Presidential Candidates, and the Parties, plus the statement from our beloved Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict).

Posted by Rita Belluz on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 4:00 PM (EST):

Planned Parenthood is a for profit organizaation. In their last annual report they reported over a billion dollars in revenue with 18 million in profits. PP CEO, Cecile Richards, earns $420,000 per year and receives perks. The federal government gives them close to 400 million dollars a year to run their business. Many states are now cutting off funding to PP but many still fund them for birth control and abortions. They are currently being investigated for overbilling the states for their services.

Posted by Mike Malone on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 3:12 PM (EST):

In case anyone has missed it, the vast majority of those posting on this thread are a bunch of ticked off Catholics…...I wish there was a group or organization, faithful to all of the teachings of the Church, that made it their mission to make sure the bishops get the message.

Posted by Mike Malone on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 3:09 PM (EST):

Mary Blair,

Your understanding of conscience is flawed. A well-formed conscience must be formed in communion with Church teachings; a malformed conscience is not. A person cannot hide behind conscience to reject any Church doctrine unless they can claim invincible ignorance. Since the Church’s teaching on the five non-negotiables i.e. Abortion/Euthanasia ,Contraception, Homosexual Marriage, Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Cloning are well known; a practicing Catholic simply cannot claim invincible ignorance. A vote for Obama is a vote in favor of all 5 of these non-negotiables. If you think it is OK, on the basis of conscience, to vote for him, when there is a better choice, you are dead wrong!

Posted by Anon on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 3:08 PM (EST):

When it comes to authoritative Catholic teaching I like to recall the words of Andrew Greely. He said, “there appears to be a pedagogical law that the taught will not listen to the teachers until they are first convinced that the teachers have first listened to them.” There aint no listening in the institutional church!

Posted by BEA Biederman on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 3:06 PM (EST):

I would like to have PAUL RYAN and SISTER CAMPBELL in a debate for a Catholic audience. This is one for Raymond Arroyo on EWTN.
Additionally, we have to get some MEDIA attention on CARDINAL DOLAN. His benediction at the DNC was excellent, but the major networks went dark, a good portion of the people at the convention had left, over 50% of them could care less, and most Catholics still don’t even know he was there.
The Catholic church was dragged into the political arena with the HHS LAW, so why are we pretending that we are not? CARDINAL DOLAN has to shed some clarity on the platforms—especially the Democratic one.
TIME FOR CATECHISM AND CLARITY. To me, it is illogical to reap from a party that supports intrinsic evils and has the most immoral platform in history. It seems like a choice between God or Mammon. Given the democratic platform, are Catholics in the democratic party sparring with the devil? Are they being tempted like Jesus was in the desert when he was offered all those ‘riches’ by the devil if he heeded to him? I don’t get it. To me, to say one is a CATHOLIC DEMOCRAT seems to be an OXYMORON. I just don’t get it. Are church democrats approaching their choices through a RELATIVISTIC conscience? I need clarity from the mouth of CARDINAL DOLAN.

Posted by abimopectore on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 3:02 PM (EST):

The “Separation of Church and State” does NOT mean that you can’t practice your faith publicly. It was put there so that people could freely practice their faith in this country without fear of reprisal. Nobody is writing laws or policies, with the exception of the HHS mandate, that force their moral view upon others. It’s only been until this Presidency where religious beliefs have been challenged. All life from conception to death should be valued and the life of a conceived child within the mother’s womb should take priority since it’s the MOST vulnerable and the one without a voice that can be heard unless folks speak up for his/her life. If you don’t form your conscience realizing this last point, you have NOT formed it well. There is no spinning this reality no matter how much you try to bring other topics to obfuscate this.

Posted by Ginny Richards on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 2:55 PM (EST):

Public figures like Caroline Kennedy and Sr Simone and others who promote anti -Catholic values like abortion and gay marriage all the while calling on their Catholic faith to do so should first be publicly reprimanded, then publicly excommunicated if they refuse to cease. They are leading Catholics astray and giving non-Catholics a false impression of Catholicism. If a lay person has an opinion contrary to church teaching, when they enter the public arena, they have a choice to either publicly profess their religion or publicly promote their personal opinion, not both. If you don’t want to follow church teaching you don’t really want to be a Catholic. Go find yourself a religion that suits your beliefs.

Posted by Grace on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 2:51 PM (EST):

Rick Warren, the author of Purpose Driven Life, states that all Christians should vote in line with Bible. We as Christians stand up for the sanctity of life, the sanctity of sex and the sanctity of marriage. These three issues (life, sex, marriage) are non-negotiables for Christians. While they may disagree on the economy or health care, what believers must be firm on is protecting the unborn, viewing sex as holy, and protecting traditional marriage.

Catholic church and leaders should encourage Bible study for every Catholic in addition to attending Mass. So every Catholic has solid foundations on the truth (Bible). Only listening to homily during mass is not sufficient to know the teachings of Jesus. Catholic Leaders need to speak loud and clear with courage during this election to bring glory to our merciful God instead of sending confusioning message to Catholic voters. They have to defend the truth aganist false witnesses. Catholic church has very beautiful mass to offer thanksgiving to our merciful God, but protestant church offers strong sermons and Bible teaching in Sunday school/Bible study. Why don’t Catholics speak in one voice? There is only one truth, right and wrong. This question need to be answered by Catholic leaders.

“people who don’t know God make government god.”

Posted by Grok Hadrian on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 2:51 PM (EST):

BMCD said: Catholics have lost their respect for the US bishops because of the sex abuse scandal…

My question is, then why does the media still have respect for the public school system which has had many times for sex abuse cases than the Catholic Church? Could it be that they are using any excuse they can to disparage God and his Church on Earth. Did Jesus ever say that people in his Church would be perfect? He even referred to Peter as ‘Satan’ when he said ‘Get behind me Satan’. Yet Peter was to become his assigned head of his Church.

The television and print media especially seem to hate Christian religions. Any little misstep by a Christian leader and it is out there and they keep pounding it. Actors can sleep with 12 year old girls and it is never mentioned. Why, they too are respected, admired, and emulated.

Posted by Clair Mahinske on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 2:29 PM (EST):

I never said I did not honor the sacredness of life from the womb to the tomb. God nor I did not spin this. What I want to emphasize is that the sacredness of life is not limited to the womb. This means that war (Remember WWII and the Nazis??) slaughters children, women and men . . . fathers, mothers, grandparents, sisters . . . all sorts of life. Our constitution separates church and state. How would the Polish Catholics that are now outnumbered in Detroit…especially Dearborn, MI let their religious beliefs be formed and ruled by the policies of the radical Islamic(s) living in their churches. It is the RADICAL Moslem sects that do not consider life in all forms. Not all Moslems are radical.Consider all ramifications before digging your boots in and not seeing the forest for the trees.

Posted by BMCD on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 1:58 PM (EST):

Catholics have lost their respect for the US bishops because of the sex abuse scandal and because of the misuse of parish and diocesan money. Loss of respect by many viewers was one reason why the TV news networks switched to commentary during each convention when Cardinal Dolan prayed. I had to go to YouTube to hear his prayers which were well phrased and worded to be inclusive of all religious people.

Posted by Pete on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 1:37 PM (EST):

Mary, You are incorrect about the primacy of conscience. You said :

“The magisterium recognizes the primacy of conscience and we should all celebrate that, particularly in deciding for whom we will caste our vote. An informed conscience can result in a valid and moral decision to vote for either candidate. One is no less or more a Catholic for exercising their right to vote for the candidate of their own
choice.”

Read ALL that the Catechism has to say on Moral Conscience.
here’s some of what you will read if you read ALL of it
1783 “Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings.”

1785 “In the formation of conscience the Word of God is the light for our path,54 we must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience before the Lord’s Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church.

1786 “Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.”

Posted by Rene on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 1:23 PM (EST):

We should not be surprised by the confusion. The bishops have tolerated dissent for far too long. They have often looked the other way rather than confront those who dissent from Catholic teaching. Now the bishops are in trouble. Many of these Spirit of Vatican II Catholics see no problem with the HHS mandate, but see problem with the bishops.These are the fruits of tolerating dissent within the Church. I wonder what will happen if President Obama gets re-elected. Will the government mandate priests to perform gay weddings? Will the government mandate bishops to ordain women?

Posted by Eileen on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 12:56 PM (EST):

You can see from the comments above that there is a great confusion over authentic Catholic teaching. And each person is certain they are right.

Posted by kay on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 12:55 PM (EST):

Personally I don’t follow the spin of the right or the spin of the left. WIth either one you can dance yourself right out of the Church. There are 7 Principles of Catholic Social Teaching and #1 according to the Church trumps them all, because without the sacredness of life from the womb to the tomb nothing makes sense. God’s “spin” wins!

ALL:
The Holy Spirit is the author of Truth; therefore, it shall never be extinguished, denied nor will it ever be suppressed. THIS IS FIRST AND FOREMOST. Natural laws happen in a form of order of existence and the flow thereof, as in “cause and effect”, “logic and reason” and “what follows and what precedes it”. God the Father begot God the Son and what follows is God the Holy Spirit; All in one; however, the responsibility (for the lack of a better word) was entrusted to each Supreme Head (again for a lack of a better word) to execute, exercise and accomplish. The Holy Spirit (as we believers understand it to be) could not have performed its duties, unless The Father and Son preceded and in likewise manner the Father would not have an accomplishment unless the Son follows it. The Mother of God is precisely the example of this simply because of her “Yes” to the commission put forth by the Angel Gabriel.
Point being: Authority has an order; it comes from the author who creates and speaks it. Christ in His commissioning of Peter as the head of the apostles and overall His Church; Catholic (Universal) teachings, doctrines and traditions stems and follows this order – uninterrupted; it simply flows. That order is as follows: Christ to Peter/Apostle/Vicar of Christ (Pope) to Church/Community/Faithful in which the Truth (Holy Spirit) emanates and being deposited onto the commune of believers (men/women of goodwill) for which the fruits thereof are teachings =Catholic Doctrines. Hence the end result is continuity of TRUTH regardless of Chaos (Satan). TO THE FAITHFUL: stand united and in harmony with our Beloved Pope Benedict XVI; know the teachings of the Catholic Church and you will weather and survive the storm. Do not let the wind of confusion and fallacy of “feeling good” vibes carry you off. Pray and be Steadfast; we are no different from the Saints that have gone before us, paving the way with their own blood in their Love of Truth; their Love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lily of France
Malia Muagututia-Herz

Posted by ANNE on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 12:47 PM (EST):

There are 5 NON-NEGOTIABLES that must always be strictly observed - - - -
Abortion;
Euthanasia;
Embroyonic stem cell research;
Human cloning;
Homosexual marriage.
We can also add: Freedom of Religion for a 6th.

For more info please search internet for: ” What Catholics REALLY Believe Source “.
The answer to question #13 is about the requirement of all Catholic citizens to VOTE which is in the CCC.
The links provided are clear and not confusing.
1) A statement by Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict);
2) A Voting Guide for Serious Catholics;
3) Where do Candidates stand on key issues (2012 Presidential);
4) A Comparison of the 2012 Republican and Democratic Party Platforms;
5) A link to the short video “Test of Fire”.

Please pass this site on to all your Catholic friends, and to your
Diocese Bishop as well.

Posted by kay on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 12:43 PM (EST):

Michael - You are correct there are points in the Republican platform that are not in line with the Church’s teaching. There are in fact 7 principles of Catholic Social Teaching that the Bishops have outlined. #1 which trumps them all is Sacredness and Dignity of Human Life, and that includes life from the moment of conception to natural death. You can’t count on society placing any value on the lives of those born (you and me) if they dodn’t see any value in our lives when we were in the womb. We talk about “self-esteem!” Our young people have suffered deeply from the knowledge that 1/3 of their generation has been killed off and never given a chance to breathe the fresh air you value. I wouldn’t take my chances on either the right or the left spin because either way you can dance yourself out of the church. God’s “spin” wins!

As Jesus said..a tree is known by it’s fruits..and concerning His church warned that He will remove the weeds from the wheat.These CINO’s(Catholic in name only)are completely ignorant of church teachings and of the faith itself..it is this ignorance that led Obama to surround himself with them in order to divide and confuse fence sitting Catholics.Part of the problem or blame lies with the church for remaining silent about many important issues and for removing any mention of sin and consequence from homilies.Instead we’re fed fluffy feel good I’m ok your ok garbage.Catholicism reeks today of protestantism..where you pick and choose what you want to believe in ored to be comfortable with yourself..instead of Christ on the Cross..we’ve placed Him in a comfy chair.Warning..soon the tree will be shaken and those who are weak in faith shall totally leave..as Pope Benedict once said..the church shall become smaller..but holier..it’s time for all Catholics to learn their faith and live it out…Chrsit will soon remove the Judases that stay for their own destructive reasons.As St.Bernadette of Lourdes reamrked..the thing that terrifies her the most are bad Catholics.Judge yourself..the lines are being drawn.

Posted by ANNE on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 12:21 PM (EST):

I don’t know why all Diocese Bishops do not excommunicate Catholic HERETICS and Catholic SCHISMATICS that reside within their Diocese.
This is a Scandal in addition to the Scandal committed by the Heretics and Schismatics.
Is this also why many US Bishops do not promote the reading of the CCC itself ?

CCC: ” 2089 ... HERESY is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; ...
SCHISM is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”

Scandal is a mortal sin. Confusion is the work of the devil.

I just don’t understand what is going on.

Posted by Dan in Chicago on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 12:15 PM (EST):

Are the “Nuns on the Bus” part of a specific non-profit group—other than the Catholic Church in general—and, as such, do they endanger their group’s non-profit status by supporting a candidate in the election? For that matter, does Planned Parenthood give money to candidates for office and why doesn’t that affect their non-profit status?

Thanks and God bless,
Dan

Posted by Mike Malone on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 11:50 AM (EST):

Ed Peters, a prominent canon lawyer is quoted; he “stresses the authoritative role of bishops as teachers of faith and morals, but he also notes the limits of that authority in matters of prudential judgment on which people of good will can disagree.” What a load of coal. I respectfully submit that the Church’s doctrinal teachings leave no room for ‘prudential judment’. Abortion is an intrinsic evil. Caroline Kenneday proudly proclaims that she is a faithful Catholic Woman and then goes on to rail against the Church and support ‘women’s reproductive rights’. This is apostasy pure and simply. If this doesn’t pass the test for you substitute abortion for contraception, embryonic stem cell research, homosexual marriage etc. In response our bishops are silent….completely silent.

Did you ever wonder why people no longer go to confession, mass, believe in the Real Presence etc. Well you can stop wondering because it is clear our bishops are not teaching and defending the faith.

Posted by spudnik on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 11:49 AM (EST):

If only all American bishops had the clarity and courage of Cardinal Dolan. I know of parishes that teach things contrary to Church doctrine, where lesbian couples receive Communion together, and where votes are taken to explicitly drop requirements that religious ed teachers be in communion with Church teaching. In all these things I ask myself: Where is the bishop?

Posted by Mary Blair on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 11:45 AM (EST):

The magisterium recognizes the primacy of conscience and we should all celebrate that, particularly in deciding for whom we will caste our vote. An informed conscience can result in a valid and moral decision to vote for either candidate. One is no less or more a Catholic for exercising their right to vote for the candidate of their own
choice.

Posted by Kathy16670 on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 11:27 AM (EST):

Huh?
Some of the statements in this article “exploited” the confusion, also.
For example:“Sister Simone elicited wild applause when she reminded the delegates that Ryan’s proposed cuts of social programs had been strongly criticized by the U.S. bishops, and she was cheered when asserting that “pro-life” values explained her own bus tour that targeted Ryan’s fiscal priorities.
Yet this same audience also applauded top abortion-rights activists who warned them that GOP efforts to bar federal funding of Planned Parenthood and protect conscience rights would turn back the clock on women’s rights.”
“Sister” Simone is a dissident Catholic doing her “Nuns on a bus” sowing liberal, heretical theology where ever she goes. The Bishops did NOT criticize Ryan’s budget plan. In fact, Ryan’s Bishop publicly applauded Ryan’s plan. (Google it, or youtube it.)

Please correct me if I am wrong, but that portion of the article comes across to me as saying:

“Even though the good nun got it right on this area, and the audience applauded, yet pro-aborts got it wrong in this area, and the audience applauded.”

I would put it this way:

“The goofy “Nun” espoused heresy and lies, and the audience applauded, then the pro-aborts espoused their lies, and the audience applauded again.”

Posted by Thomas on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 10:07 AM (EST):

Cardinal Dolan might have had an impact if at the same time the other Bishops weren’t denouncing Paul Ryan’s budget, throwing their weight to the Nuns on the Bus. They will all go to the voting booth and once again PULL THE OBAMA LEVER>>>>SO much for whose voice speaks for the Church….Trust alone in the Holy Spirit who will lead and guide us in all truth. As Jesus say’s “I myself will Shepard them for others have led them astray” The Holy Spirit is the true guardian of the Truth.

Posted by kay on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 10:07 AM (EST):

Cardinal Dolan’s appearance would have had a greater impact if all the networks had carried it rather than turning it over to their newscasters.

Posted by John D on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 10:06 AM (EST):

Don’t you at the Register realize that people like Sr Simone and Caroline Kennedy are NOT CATHOLIC? Yes, they call themselves Catholic but so do the millions at your typical parish whose bumper stickers out in the parking lot proclaim support for Obama-Biden 2012, and here in Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, a proven liar who is fanatically pro death. To be a Catholic is to at LEAST defend the most basic spiitual truth that abortion in an abomination before God. Why don’t you at the Register act and WRITE like catholics? The Register is simply part of the problem! You have lost your own faith because you should be unambiguously condemning these speakers who are purveyors of the devil’s evil.

Posted by Linda Kracht on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 9:55 AM (EST):

Well done article! Thank you for clarifying and clarity.

Posted by David on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 9:46 AM (EST):

I am proud of Card. Dolan to have made this speech. Let’s hope things go well with the Al Smith dinner. And let’s hope that we all become BOLD, “it is not a Spirit of Timidity that we have been given…”

Posted by Bonita Makinson on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 9:37 AM (EST):

If the government can replace my responsibility to use what God has given me to care for my neighbor. Go for it??? The government gods can do it so much better???

Posted by Robert Stout on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 9:30 AM (EST):

If practicing Catholics are too busy to defend their faith and take
a stand against these assaults on our faith, we are doomed

Posted by Clair Mahinske on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 9:19 AM (EST):

I have a campaign button: Catholics for Obama. The late great Blessed John Paul II chastised George W. Bush on his war on the middle east as a war on innocents and children. How many children have perished because of the ‘unjust war.’ This election is not a ‘one issue election’. The Republican Party have always been war mongers. Romney’s own sister said he/Romney would do nothing re: birth control and abortion. He/Romney said the same thing in Mass. as Governor. He is a Morman; not even a Christian . . . let alone a Catholic. They/Mormans do not believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only savior of our souls. The Republican Party’s platform is geared to the rich. Romney hides his money overseas. He cares nothing for the poor non working people of this great country. I feel I am preaching to the choir; but feel it NECESSARY to speak for peace. Do not be duped.

Posted by michael vocino on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 9:16 AM (EST):

It is clear that you are pro-Republican in your approach to “spinning” the news. There were catholic voices at the Republican Convention yet you do little to point out the conflicts that exist in the Republican approach to policy that is in clear conflict with Catholic teachings and traditions. YOU are the greater disservice to the faithful…biased, ill-informed, and decidedly partisan is hardly an approach you as a so-called “catholic” news service should be taking. You bring scandal to the faithful, you are a disgrace to Jesus and what he stands for…We REAL catholics have put up with your nonsense and misunderstanding of the historical Catholicism we who were raised by good and loving Catholic families and attended Catholic schools know exists. There is a REAL Catholicism that exists apart from the REGISTER’s pro-rightwing silliness.

Posted by Grok Hadrian on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 8:54 AM (EST):

The problem is that most Catholics listen to all Catholics who promote their own beliefs as somehow ‘Catholic’. These ‘Catholics’ are in good standing despite their beliefs. Since they are good standing, the next step is that average Catholics think they can pick and choose which beliefs they can practice and promote. When coming back to the Catholic church after 30 years (I left because of the confused beliefs), I asked a ‘good’ Catholic woman who is a Eucharistic minister and on the Parish council of her church about being Catholic and she said that there were some Catholic teachings she didn’t agree with and proceeded to give me a list of them. She then explained to me why the Catholic Church was wrong on these issues. When younger, our parish priests taught us in the youth group things that were completely against Catholic teaching.

I asked myself how I could believe in a God that was so confused. Being God he should know what is right and wrong.

When Bishops allow Catholics who publicly promote anti-Catholic teachings (heretics) to remain in good standing in the church, Catholics get confused. The next step is that they leave because they can’t believe in a confusing God. They either stop being religious at all or join religions that have a more solid message like pentacostals or even Jehovah’s Witnesses.

We need a strong message from our Bishops on the confusing messages by making it obvious that these Catholics who promote anti-Catholic teachings, are not in good standing with the church, or are not Catholics at all.

Prior to 1960, the Catholic church had a clear message and those that publicly disagreed with it, were censured in some way. But today Catholics can believe what they want. No wonder so few young people are staying Catholic. I know, I was one of those young people who left.

Cardinal Dolan was courageous to stand before two conventions proclaiming truth and goodness for all God’s people. He accomplished what no other person in this country could or would. He truly was a hero. Ad Multos Annos, Cardinal Dolan!
Elizabeth S.Forshaw.. St. Louis, Mo.

Posted by Bill on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 7:26 AM (EST):

Cdl. Dolan merely had to say that in para. #2357 of the C.C.C. it explains that homosexual acts: “Under no circumstances can they be approved.” So much for “same-sex marriage”. Abortion is intrinsically evil (can never be permitted) as it it the taking of an innocent human life. He should have explained that aberrosexuality and abortion are MORTALLY SINFUL and participants would face eternity in Hell. Remember that the Democratic platform did not mention God until His name was inserted, once, the day before the Cdl spoke. Who is kidding whom? The room was filled with formal heretics, atheists and agnostics. Cdl Dolan’s appearance merely gave cover for “catholics” to vote Democratic.

Posted by Linda Nelson on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 4:19 AM (EST):

It is disturbing to see Catholics follow the liberal feminist line by parroting their stock phrase “reproductive health” to mask approval of unnatural sexual habits and abortion. There is only one entity that benefits from this kind of “health” and it has nothing to do with God or the Church. We’ve often heard that same voice calling “bigot” and protesting that the Church has chosen a vicious, offensive side of the newly-coined political term, “war on women”. Really, human dignity is at stake in all this, and trying to defuse freely spoken Catholic comments by taunts is an old trick. Leading natural, Godly lives is quite contrary to what some are teaching us.

Posted by Michael on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 1:38 AM (EST):

To be fair, he didn’t exactly mention marriage….

Posted by I_M_Foreman on Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 12:15 AM (EST):

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is always a good place to start to find out what is Catholic. Some politicians who are Catholic when it is advantageous should read it. Any other questions that they have on the faith perhaps can be directed to Cardinal Burke in Rome. There are no rival magisteriums. Time for the Church Militant to stand up and and weed out the garden.

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